First Things First

The day was wide open before me. I had a long list of things I hoped to accomplish on my one day off that didn’t include a doctor’s appointment, chemotherapy infusion, patients to see in my office, track practice or meet, church committee meeting, or meet up with one of the women I mentor. I was excited with anticipation of all I could get done.

I allowed myself the luxury of pressing the “snooze” button on my alarm a couple of times that morning since the tasks to get done that day were not scheduled at specific times. Still, I somehow felt like I “ran behind.” Do you ever feel that way?

Showered and dressed, bed made, I sat legs-crossed in my sitting area over-stuffed chair ready for my time with the Lord. My Bible fallen open on my lap, I turned to the passage for the day’s reading. But first, I opened in prayer.

As I laid my heart before the Lord, the unwritten agenda for the day intruded. Blog post ideas, writing commitment deadlines, emails to return, phone calls to make, appointments to schedule, laundry to wash, groceries to be bought, prescriptions to pick up, thank you notes to write all crashed in on the solitude and serenity of my so-called “Quiet Time” with the Lord. As hard as I tried, my mind kept wandering to the never ending list of tasks screaming for my attention. It reminded me of one of my favorite stories:

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42)

I love the story of Mary and Martha because I can relate to both within a single day, and in the situation I relayed above, even within the same moment. I have a Mary heart and long to sit at the feet of Jesus talking with Him and learning about the things of the kingdom. Yet simultaneously, I possess a built-in Martha personality, wired to do and to accomplish and to make things happen. Both characteristics struggle for equal expression.

I love how scripture relays that Martha was doing what she “had to do.” It communicates that Martha wasn’t wrong for doing those things, but rather it was her stressing and worrying that got her in trouble with Jesus. Good for me to remember and to keep that in perspective!

In my alone times when I desire my first and foremost focus to be on God, I find it helpful to have a notepad by my side for those times when I become distracted by the stresses of the things that need to get done that serve as a distraction from my intimacy with God. When the enemy can’t destroy you, he’ll do whatever he can to distract you. It was certainly working that morning. I also find repentance and thanksgiving to be very helpful as well: repentance for allowing the tasks of the day to interrupt my devotion to God, and thanksgiving that God gives me so many things to be involved in. It sort of defuses the enemy’s fire.

I love that God provided a place for both Mary and Martha, just no place for stress and worry. I can be productive and task-oriented, but I must establish my priorities, and my first thing needs to stay first: spending time in His presence. I am quite grateful that He desires that from me. It’s a gift–not a reprimand.

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11 Comments

I can so relate to this. I have both Martha and Mary in my heart. And I love that even though they fight sometimes, neither one is right or wrong. I don’t need to silence either. We are made to do and create and take care of, and we are made to form a relationship with God and others and meditate on his word.

Hi Michelle! Your post reminded me of the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. I totally get the distraction in prayer, and the need to bridge the gap between work and sitting quietly with the Lord. It’s a hard balance, no question.
From Tell His Story,
Ceil

Hi Michelle! Thanks for your perspective on Martha and Mary. I think it’s so important to see the balance of the work God has ahead of us, as well as the time we spend at His feet in worship. The balance of our time is so crucial to how God can use us! Your neighbor at #livefreethursday

I truly enjoyed your post ! I have often struggled with being a Mary in a Martha world! Its so easy to get caught up and loose sight of what is truly important! Depression is a real thing ….. that’s touched my life in more than one way! Thank you for sharing your heart! Praying you have a blessed week!

Michelle, it’s scary how much I can relate to this. I long to sit at His feet but the to-do’s on my list keep crowding in. “First things first” has become a set of buzz words in our family as I encourage my children to establish this habit, all the while trying to find ways to make it my own.
Thanks for sharing this encouragement, dear friend.
Blessings!
Marva | SunSparkleShine

Happens all too often. The to-do list pushes its way to the front of the line, screaming, “Me first!” Goodness, and the curse of being a writer, or at least a wanna-be writer, is thinking of the BEST blog posts, and in my case story ideas as well, either while showering, driving, or praying. 😉

Thanks for sharing at Literacy Musing Mondays and making me feel a bit more normal! Have a great week.

OK too funny, we wrote about very similar things again, just days apart, but since we probably both had them prescheduled, it was probably at the same time. God has a way of getting a message across to His people doesn’t He? LOL Oh and I love how you point out that He made a space for them both, just not for their stress and worry! Love it and love you